Chicken Mites

[frustratedearthmother]

Nice - they look like they are having a blast!

 

[waretrop]

They were having a blast.....I get day after bread that the homeless can't eat when they get "day old bread'. It's boxes and boxes...I think the lady gives them to me so she doesn't have to pay to trash it...My chickens love it..When they see my coming with a container they won't even let me into the gate. I have to through a few pieces across the area so they chase it so I can get in and dump it. What you see is a whole garbage can worth of bread with all the chickens piled up on it....They love the bread.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

So cool that you get goodies for the gals! I've never found a deal like that. Tried to get "leftovers" from the cafeteria where I work but no go.

 

[waretrop]

I get over 14 banana boxes every 10 days....some pies and donuts are in there too.
Sometimes they bag up mashed potatoes and baked potatoes.

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That's fantastic! You might need a pig to help eat all those up, lol!

 

[Mini Horses]

I go to a Tastycake outlet near me and can buy the outdateds for about 5 cents a loaf (often NOT outdated). My chickens and goats LOVE the breads. In order to not fall all over them, I open a loaf and sling handfuls of slices away from me. Raisin bread is a real favorite. They race to it. And I have a source for close dated cases of veggies, free. Generally get a pick-up load every week to 10 days of each.

I fed my pigs out on this type of stuff, fresh mowed grass & some purchased pig feed. Sure helps with the feed bills!

 

[frustratedearthmother]

That's great! Wish I could find a sweet deal like that!

 

[milkmansdaughter]

This is a great thread. As far as I know, we haven't had mites yet but there's several things we can do to prevent them. Thank you all for your experiences.

 

[lcertuche]

I have a hard plastic kiddie swimming pool that I keep sand and lime in. The chickens take dust baths in it and that keeps the lice away. I also use lime in the outside grazing area, in the chicken coop floor and in all the next boxes. I toss it in all the nooks and crannies around the coop. You can make a lime wash by adding water and paint the coop. I use it every week in all these areas, year round. I never have a problem with buggers...Spring and Fall I use diatom powder in the sandbox and next boxes, for just one week. So all that I do also keeps the smells down.

Is this a form of whitewash?

 

[tortoise]

Thread update. I have not gotten around to limewashing in the barn yet, although I have DH's approval to try. DH solved the pigeon problem in our barn and we didn't have a lot of swallow activitythis summer either compared to previous years. I haven't gotten any mites on me while cleaning in the barn - since June, apparently. I still use DE in nest boxes. Hens look good. Now that I've remembered this thread, I'll have to inspect a couple.